Author's Note: This is the last chapter for the day, I'm afraid. I don't know when I'll be able to get the next chapter up...it's mostly written, I just have to 'fine-tune' it. I know what's going to happen with every chapter, since I've already written the song, so I just have to write the story to go with each line. I've been working on this, and wanted to get this story up on 12/12/12 (to go with the 12 theme), but unfortunately, time is always an issue for me. I blame life. I also cut my hand up a few days ago, which made it difficult to type, too. :P But enough of my rambling! Here's your chapter, enjoy!

Me: Amelie, would you like to sing this one?

Amelie: Certainly, since you were kind enough to ask.

On the fourth day of Christmas, the Founder gave to me...four stubborn men

X

"Dammit, this place is packed...don't they know it's getting dark soon?" Shane complained. Michael shrugged.

"I guess the possibility of a vampire attack pales in comparison to not getting that last-minute Christmas gift." he said.

They were both in the new shop that had opened in Morganville the month before, and it was crowded with a surprising number of people for their little town. Then again, it had just about everything one could possibly buy for a Christmas present. It had a jewelry counter, an electronics section, a toy department, clothes and accessories for anybody and everybody, and an extensive section with every nifty little gadget one could buy. They even had a special 'North Pole' section of the store, with some guy in a Santa suit letting kids tell him what they wanted for Christmas, while parents and two impossibly chipper-looking people dressed as elves took their pictures.

Shane gazed in that direction, watching as a mother tried to coax her screaming child into the harassed-looking Santa's lap, then said "Okay, there's a job I wouldn't wish on anyone. Anyway...where do we start?"

"I have no idea," sighed Michael. "I know what I'm getting Eve. What do you think Claire would like?"

"Er, a book?" suggested Shane.

Michael frowned slightly. "You're getting her a book?" he asked.

"I'm not, I was assuming you were talking about you." said Shane. When Michael gave him a look, Shane rolled his eyes and said "Look, I'm getting her a necklace. But as you're not dating her, I forbid you from doing so. So I have no idea what you're going to get her."

"You're such a big help." said Michael sarcastically. Shane shrugged.

"Always happy to be of service."

Michael rolled his eyes and looked around the store. The place was in a building that used to be a gym, and was slightly larger than the little shops he was used to. It was hard not to feel overwhelmed.

"If you already knew what you were going to get her, why did you come here, too?" Michael asked Shane.

"Because I didn't know what I was going to get her until I saw the jewelry counter over there. And I still need a present for Eve." said Shane. "So if you need me, I'm going to be buying a necklace over there." He patted Michael on the shoulder, then made his way over to the jewelry section.

Michael glared after him, then scanned the store again. He watched the 'elves' take another kid's picture, and got an idea. Claire had recently taken to keeping a photo album. It would stand to reason she could use a new camera. With that decided, he headed over to the electronics section.

Shane, meanwhile, was busy looking over the jewelry, trying to find something he wouldn't have to sell a kidney to afford.

An hour later he went to go look for Michael, deciding he was going to have to wait until his next paycheck to get the gift. That or get a second job. That was always an option. He really needed both his kidneys.

He spotted Michael and began to make his way over to him when he bumped into someone. "Sorry, I wasn't looking where I was-What the hell are you doing here?" he blurted, as the vampire he had bumped into straightened up and glared at him.

"I'm looking at the wares here, not that it's any of your business." snapped Myrnin.

Shane scowled at him. "Here? What would you possibly buy here?" he asked. "Please tell me this isn't where you buy your clothes."

Myrnin gave him a haughty look. "Again, that's none of your business. I had something I wanted to buy, and I don't really need to explain myself to you."

Shane opened his mouth to tell him to shove it when Michael appeared beside him. "Hey, what do you think of this cam-what are you doing here?" he asked, looking at Myrnin. "Please tell me this isn't where you buy your clothes."

Myrnin rolled his eyes at him, then said "I have no reason to explain myself to children." He then turned on his heel and started walking away, though he paused when he passed by the jewelry, then made his way over to that section.

"What was with him?" Michael asked blankly. Shane scowled, then shrugged.

"Maybe he saw something shiny." he suggested.

Michael shrugged too, then said "Okay, not really our problem. I need to talk with someone behind the counter about this thing, then I'm about done. You?"

"Screwed until payday. I'm ready to go when you are." Shane said, putting his hands in his pockets.

Michael went to talk to someone in electronics, then came back to where Shane was. "They told me to go to customer service. Then I'll pay for this and we can go."

Shane shrugged and followed him. The line was long, stretching back to the 'North Pole', and everyone had to take a number. It was going to be a while.

Thirty minutes later, they had started calling off numbers close to Michael's.

"Hey, do you have the paper with the number on it?" Michael asked. Shane nodded and pulled it out of his pocket. It fluttered down to the ground; a kid that looked about five picked it up, looked at Shane, grinned, and took off with it.

"Hey!" Shane called, and took off after him.

The kid squealed, then dodged between people's legs and through different store displays. Shane swore and called the kid a couple of names he shouldn't have, trying to get around people and things. He ducked and crawled through a little cardboard Christmas candy land that was a part of the North Pole display, coming out the other end and smacking into some guy's legs, causing him to trip and throw the glass vase in his hands forward, where it disappeared in the crowd and shattered.

Shane let loose another stream of curse words when he saw who the man was.

Myrnin snarled and grabbed Shane by the front of his shirt. "What did you do that for!" he snapped, lifting Shane off his feet a little.

"Hey, now, no fighting! Let's take it easy, there." said the guy in the elf costume, walking up with his hands up. "Lets break it up, guys."

Myrnin and Shane both turned to tell him off when yet another familiar voice hissed "Do you two want to explain this to me?"

Both men turned to see Oliver standing near them, broken glass in his hair and a cut on his face. He looked furious, which was understandable as he had just had a glass vase smashed into his face.

Both Myrnin and Shane blinked, looked at each other, then back at Oliver. "It was his fault," they said in unison. Oliver snarled and threw a punch at them. Myrnin dodged and threw Shane forward (probably intending to hit Oliver), so that Oliver missed both of them.

Instead, his fist connected with Santa's face.

Santa flew backwards and smacked into Elf 1, sending both men crashing into Michael (who had just run up to stop the fight and see what was going on), who in turn fell into a stack of wrapped Christmas presents. The sign beside the stack said 'Charity for Children Less Fortunate'.

There was a collective gasp.

Myrnin, Shane, and Oliver's mouths were open as they stared at the scene before them. Myrnin and Shane turned to Oliver. "You just sucker-punched Santa Clause." Shane said in hushed tones of horror.

Oliver sputtered, "I...you...he-"

Which was when some kid suddenly cried out "That old guy knocked out Santa!"

Myrnin and Shane looked at each other, then pointed to Oliver. The angry mob didn't care. Neither did the Founder.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"I really don't know what to say." said Amelie as she stared at the four men in her office. They all looked disheveled, having to practically fight their way out of the store. Apparently, even other vampires took offence when someone punched out Jolly Old St. Nick and destroyed Christmas presents for needy children.

"This is these fools' fault!" snarled Oliver, pointing at the others. "I am not to blame!"

"You knocked out Santa Clause, dude, how can you can you say you're blameless in all this?" demanded Shane.

"You threw a vase at my face!"

"No, Myrnin threw a vase at your face!"

"Because you tripped me!"

"It was an accident! And if that was anyone's fault, it's Michael's for making me wait in that stupid line!"

"But I didn't do anything!" wailed Michael.

They all started yelling and arguing until Amelie shouted for silence. "Stop it, you're acting like children! I don't care who did what, all four of you are to blame! You destroyed property, some if it for charity, and caused injury to others...in front of children, no less!"

"But I didn't do anything!" Michael protested again. "I was just waiting in line and buying some gifts!"

"What do you think I was doing?" snapped Oliver. "Then these idiots threw glass at me!"

"You were buying presents? Why do I doubt that?" snorted Shane.

"It is none of your concern, boy!" snarled Oliver.

"And I was going to buy that vase!" Myrnin whined. "Then Oliver's head ruined it!"

"What do you need a glass vase for?" Michael snapped.

"Perhaps it was a gift for someone!" Myrnin retorted.

"Please tell me that wasn't going to be the girl's gift." Oliver groaned.

"What girl? Wait, are you talking about Claire?" said Shane.

"So what if I am?"

"Who said you could get her a present!"

"I'll get whoever whatever I want, I don't need your permission, boy!"

"I was just waiting in line! Then Santa just flew into me-" Michael shouted over the others.

"I wasn't aiming for the man, I was trying to hit one of them-" Oliver called over the din.

"You're not getting my girlfriend a present, you fanged-freak!"

"I'd like to see you stop me, you infantile little-"

"SILENCE!" Amelie shrieked. The room fell quiet. "That's more like it. Now, since the four of you seem so hell-bent on ruining my Holidays and passing the blame on each other, I think I have just the thing that will get you into the spirit of the season. ALL of you." She smiled warmly at them. "First of all, you're going to have to pay for the damages you caused. Then, there's the matter of Santa Clause..."

xxxxxxxxxx

"This sucks." grumbled Shane, as he picked up a small child and walked him over to "Santa's" chair. The bells from his elf costume jingled when he walked. "This completely, utterly, absolutely sucks."

"Do shut up, you're not making this any more pleasant." snapped Myrnin, the reindeer antlers on his head bobbing with his movement. The bright red fake nose he had on flashed once. "You don't have it nearly as bad."

"Yeah, at least we're getting paid. You don't have to worry about that second job now, Shane." said Michael as he took the kid's picture. He was also sporting his own green elf costume, complete with bells.

"You're the ugliest Rudolph I've ever seen." said the next child in line, looking at Myrnin. He looked as though he was going to clock the kid, but refrained when Amelie said "Now now, Rudolph, let's behave ourselves, shall we." She smiled at them, having decided to come see how the new North Pole station at the store was doing today.

"Yeah, it's not as if this is the first time people have laughed and called you names." muttered Shane. Myrnin shot him a murderous look.

"Really though, Founder, what are you doing here?" said 'Santa' through gritted teeth, as Shane placed another kid in his lap, then posed behind him with Myrnin, both with fake smiles plastered on their faces.

She raised her eyebrows and innocently answered "Why, I've come to have my picture taken with Santa and his helpers, of course. Is that a problem, Oli-I mean, Santa?"

Oliver glared daggers behind his red hat and white beard.

"I think it goes without saying," Shane hissed through his teeth as he fake-smiled for another picture. "That nobody is mentioning this to Claire or Eve."

"Agreed." the others said quickly as the camera flashed.

X

Three ancient vamps

Two nosy boys

And a play I hope no one will see!

Amelie: There you are. May I ask why Myrnin is singing in French, over there?

Me: Uh...he wanted to. And who am I to stop him? After all, I put him in a reindeer suit.

Amelie: *sigh* I suppose you're right. Those men do give me a headache.

Me: Sorry...Erm, anyway, I don't know when I'll be able to get the next chapter up, but so far it's been my favorite...it's Claire and Myrnin! *Da-daa!*

AN: What is it with me and store vampire brawls? I seem unable to put Myrnin and Shane in a shopping place without starting some kind of altercation...all well. ;) I hope you liked it! And sorry for any spelling or grammar mistakes!

Song recommendation: An amped version of 'The Nutcracker'. Just picture Shane chasing the kid to it, okay? ^_^

Thank you for reading! Please, please, please review! It will encourage me to upload and write faster! :)

Edit (December 2014): Fixed a few typos, some punctuation errors, formatting, and a few other things. Special thanks to Lucinda for her awesome review, and pointing out one of the things that needed fixing. I appreciate it!